Hardships of the Oregon Trail
by ReaverStreak
Summary: A report for Social Studies but came out interesting.


Mathew Thurston 4/29/10 period 8

The Hardships of the Oregon Trail

Anger,fury,sadness,grief,hope,and are the eotions you feel when you've seen as i've seen

done as i've done and felt as i've are the hardships of the Oregon trail.

It all started as a normal day, dad was at work, hes been looking for something to do when he wasn't in the war,

mom was knitting on the porch and me and my brother were working the fields.I ofcourse did more work because im older by

two years and my brother was born with a disease that cost the family almost all our money for his medication.

All of a sudden Dad came home and rushed to the porch grabbed my moms hands mumbled something to her and they both

started smiling and looked so that night at the dinner table I found out dad looked at us and said "Daryl,

Alfred listen up boys. The crops are dying and I found this poster on the church door."

"for what dad?" Daryl asked

"I'll tell you 're moving! We are going to move from here on the outskirts of Boston to the wonderful area

of Oregon. It will take alot of money and work but we have two weeks and I will work overtime for more money."

"Wow," I said,"Thats great,".

"And once we get there we will be able to grow more and better crops." my mom added.

"So go and get some sleep we start packing in the morning." Dad said.

With that me and Daryl ran to our beds and jumped into them.

Two days later

Wow today dad came home with the most amazeing wagon ever. He also bought two oxen and two horses. The oxen for

hauling our stuff and the horses for us to ride. Mom and Daryl were on Lightning our fastest horse and Me and Dad were on

Brutus the more Durable of the two. I just can't wait until the trip it's going to be awesome.

The begining of the Oregon trail

We finally get to start the Oregon trail I am so excited. We are going to walk quite a distance but we will find new land and we will find untold riches. I hope I find some new friends also. We already met some families and have travelled a

few miles.

It started to rain it's day five and so far so good. We have nothing to eat but bacon but thats ok I kinda like bacon.

My brother is complaining but he'll suck it up. We found out that my mom is one month pregnant from the docter we are

travelling with.

Day 20 I decided i will just tell whats going on from now on. So far my brother is starting to run low on medicine.

Now i'm looking in the shrubs for the right medicinal herb my mom told me that it is a strange shape and that there is another

plant that is similar but has a red hue to the vine and if I touch it i'll itch for weeks wish me luck. I was almost killed by

a bear while i was looking for the herb in some shrubs. it attacked me from nowhere because i must have been near some

blueberry bush's or something.

Okay i found the herb and my brother is safe. We are about a third of the way there and have to cross a river.

We decided to have the wagon go straight across and we got on either side of it on horse and held the sides so nothing would

fall out. We were almost across when the current got stronger and pushed my mom and brother away screaming for help as their

heads bobbed under the water and they struggled for air we tried to help them and could only grab my mom but it was to late

for my brother his head knocked against a rock as we reached for him and he fell limp through the water covered in blood and

cuts.

We revived my mom but she was sickened with Cholera and stayed in the wagon or days. When my mom wasn't as sick

she started mourning. Me and dad had been mourning already but now that mom was more active we had to be strong.

as we neared a meadow we saw a strange man limping towards our carrivan we got him to talk but all he said was to

beware the redmen and decline their offer and with that he died.

We are now half way there we are in the middle of a meadow and we see a small village ahead. As we neared

we saw it was an indian village and the men all wore red paint on their faces and clothes. As we approached them

they made us halt and they offered us food and shelter. Many other families accepted but mom beleived that we should

move on because of the mans warning. As we left is were we enter present time and the true torture began.

We are almost out of the village and now I can here a strange commotion and a lot of screaming. I turned back in time

to see an arrow flying towards us and it impaled itself through my dads back and as he collapsed to the ground and painted the ground

with his blood my vision blurred in tears. I saw as an Indian man jumped from his teepee and stabbed at my moms unborn

baby killing it instantly then he slashed up cutting my mothers teary face in half. I looked back and saw that all the other

families were on the ground dead. I tried to run but I was chased by an indian warrior and now i'm being stabbed and with my

terminal breath I say to you beware the redmen and refuse their offers of help and avoid the Black hills all together. I am

only one in thousands but remember that these are the hardships of the Oregon Trail. 


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